The Suffolk mental health and well-being system is failing and people are having difficulty accessing the support they need – even in times of crisis.

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Chart with statistics from the Suffolk Mental Health Needs Assessment of 2018, commissioned by the Suffolk County Council. Graphic: ARCHANT

This is the blatant warning from a damn new report that examines the challenges faced by thousands of people who suffer from mental illness in our communities.

The waiting times are still too long – and although more money is invested, the results for the patients are not yet good enough, say the authors of the strategy for mental health and emotional well-being for East and West Suffolk (2019-29).

The report adds that deprivation has an impact on the demand for mental health services. Even more areas in Suffolk are now in the 20% and 40% of the most deprived areas in England, with Ipswich among the worst affected.

The powerful data in the document, which comes from the Suffolk County Council's (SCC) mental health assessment from 2018, shows that nearly 50,000 people in Suffolk (49,315) had depression from 2016/17.

And in Suffolk, the proportion of people who crashed after self-injury into A & E was higher this year than in England.

Nearly 1,400 (1,396) emergency rooms were recorded – four people per day – at a rate of 200 per 100,000, more than the national rate of 185 per 100,000. Ipswich recorded even more with 262 self-injuries per 100,000.

"Despite the best intentions and hard work of many people, the Suffolk mental health and well-being system is failing," warns Healthwatch Suffolk and Ipswich, East Suffolk, and West Suffolk (CCGs) groups of clinicians.

"The people of Suffolk have told us that they are unable to access the psychological support they need – even in times of crisis."

The document indicates that CCGs in Suffolk are commissioning NHS organizations and SCC to provide mental health services.

And while the major provider of mental health is Norfolk and the Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), 90% of people with mental health problems are cared for in the primary sector.

NSFT, currently in special measures, is awaiting the results of a new inspection report.

In this document, CCG officials state that their current "inadequate" classification raises issues with the recruitment of mental health staff.

The status of the special measures also reduces public confidence in the quality of services, the authors say.

Trust in mental health: "Demand has increased"

NSFT bosses say demand has increased in recent years.

Operations Director Peter Devlin said: "There is more public awareness of mental health issues than ever before, which we consider to be a very positive development.

"The stigma that underlies mental health has diminished, which is another reason more people are willing to seek help.

"With one out of every four people having a mental health problem at any given time, there is also a demographic factor behind this rising numbers locally, as the Suffolk population continues to grow.

He added, "We have and will work with a variety of partners to ensure that the people we serve receive the best possible psychiatric care.

"We are just one of many providers of these services.

"Others include primary care physicians – the draft strategy states that" 90% of people are treated with mental health problems in primary care, including school nurses, children's centers, health visitors and the third sector. "

Vision for the future

The CCG leaders expressed their vision to change the psychosocial services in East and West Suffolk in the report.

In partnership with Healthwatch Suffolk, executives have been talking to thousands of patients to make the services more accessible to everyone.

With a mix of family doctors, nurses and assistants, they strive to make mental illness a "business for all" and to ensure that all patients are treated swiftly appropriately, using a more networked approach and providing a first-aid service around the clock. Provide service.

The next week's board meeting will give a detailed look at the new strategy for 2019-29, the bosses said.

If successful, the bosses aim to present a "timeline for change" by the end of January 2019.

"This is a real opportunity for significant change and for the NPPs and wider healthcare system in Suffolk to better integrate physical and mental well-being," said a spokesperson.